Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni) is recognized as the leading cause of acute bacterial gastroenteritis in the United States and many developed countries (Blaser, M. J., et al., 1983; Butzler, J. P., et al., 1979; Rettig, P. J., 1979). A variety of wild and domestic animals are intestinal carriers and are recognized reservoirs of the organism (Soerjadi-Liem, A. S., et al., 1984). Although these animals often excrete 10.sup.4 -10.sup.8 C. jejuni per gram of feces, they are typically asymptomatic (Grant, I. H., et al., 1980; Oosterom, J., et al., 1983; Wempe, J. M., et al., 1983). Surveys reveal between 30 and 100% of poultry carry the organism (Grant. I. H., et al., 1980; Oosterom, J., et al., 1983; Prescott, J. F., et al., 1981; Shanker, S., et al., 1986; Shanker, S., et al., 1990; Stern, N. J., et al., 1988; Stern, N. J., et al., 1985; Varga. J., et al., 1990; Wempe, J. M., et al., 1983). Serotypes of C. jejuni frequently involved in human infection are often the same as those isolated from poultry. Investigations of outbreaks and sporadic cases of Campylobacter enteritis have revealed poultry is a principal vehicle of illness (Brouwer, R., et al., 1979; Deming, M. S., et al., 1987; Grant, I. H., et al., 1980; Harris, N. V., et al., 1986; Hopkins, R. S., et al., 1983; Hopkins, R. S., et al., 1984; Istre, G. R., et al., 1984; Norkrans, G., et al., 1982; Rosenfield, J. A., et al., 1985).
C. jejuni is disseminated from live birds to dressed carcasses and poultry parts during processing (Baker, R. C., et al., 1987). Results of a large national survey of retail meats and poultry revealed that C. jejuni contaminated 30% of fresh chickens and only 5.1% of red meats (Stern, N. J., et al., 1985). Similarly, Harris et al. (1986) reported C. jejuni/coli contamination of 23% of 862 retail chickens but infrequent contamination of retail turkey, beef, and pork. Studies by Kinde et al. (1983) revealed up to 83% of retail chickens were contaminated with C. jejuni. A prospective case-control study by the Seattle-King County Public Health Department revealed that approximately half of the cases of Campylobacter enteritis were associated with ingestion of poultry products (Rettig, P. J., 1979). Deming et al. (1987) identified consumption of chicken or contact with cats or kittens as the major risk factors involved in sporadic cases of Campylobacter enteritis, among college students, implicating chicken as a vehicle in about 70% of the cases. Hence, poultry appears to be the major vehicle of Campylobacter enteritis in the United States.
Studies of chicks perorally inoculated with C. jejuni reveal that the birds are readily colonized by C. jejuni (Beery, J. T., et al., 1988; Kaino, K., et al., 1988; Sanyal, S. C., et al., 1984; Shanker, S., et al., 1988; Soerjadi. A. S., et al., 1982; Soerjadi-Liem, A. S., et al., 1984; Stern, N. J., et al., 1989), with the ceca being the primary sites of localization (Beery, J. T., et al., 1988). Histologic examination of these ceca revealed campylobacters localize in the lumen of mucus-filled crypts. Campylobacters appear to colonize the crypt mucus without attaching to the microvilli (Beery, J. T., et al., 1988). Hugdahl et al. (1988), studying the chemotactic behavior of C. jejuni, observed that the organism is attracted to mucin, and specifically to L-fucose which is a component of mucin. Mucin, a high molecular weight glycoprotein, is the principal constituent of mucus. In addition to its chemoattractant properties, mucin also can be utilized by C. jejuni as a sole substrate for growth (Hugdahl, M. B., et al., 1988).
Before the present invention, it had been difficult to isolate any active ingredients which combat the colonization of C. jejuni in poultry. Because of the detrimental effects of C. jejuni on humans resulting from transmission by poultry, there is a definite need for an effective treatment and control of the colonization of C. jejuni in poultry.